A $520 HP OmniBook with 16GB of RAM outperforms a pricier laptop with just 8GB.

Laptop prices have become quite unpredictable. In the past, you could snag a decent laptop for around $500, while $900 would get you something really impressive. Back then, the differences often lay in build quality and display rather than raw specs, as components like CPU, RAM, and storage were relatively affordable. However, the recent RAM crisis has turned this landscape upside down. Now, even a $950 laptop like the Surface Laptop starts with just 8GB of RAM, which is hardly sufficient. On the budget side, manufacturers are cutting corners on storage, CPU, and overall build quality to compete with the $700 MacBook Neo.

Yet, one budget-friendly laptop has managed to stand out and pleasantly surprise me. The HP 16-inch OmniBook 3 is a straightforward productivity machine that typically retails for about $520. It features Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X chip, delivering decent everyday performance and impressive battery life. However, it does come with a lackluster display, average speakers, a standard trackpad, and a plastic chassis. Before the RAM crisis, it wouldn’t have turned any heads.

But in 2026, getting 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD in a laptop priced around $500 is definitely a win.

The entry-level OmniBook 3 I tested is equipped with an 8-core Snapdragon X processor, 16GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD, and a 16-inch 1920 x 1200 anti-glare IPS LCD. It’s surprisingly portable for a larger laptop, weighing in just slightly more than a 14-inch MacBook Pro, and with a maximum thickness of 0.63 inches, it’s reasonably slim. This larger laptop doesn’t feel cumbersome, and despite its plastic build, it doesn’t come off as overly cheap.

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Component report card
* Screen: D
* Webcam: C
* Keyboard: C
* Trackpad: C
* Port selection: B
* Speakers: D
* Number of ugly stickers to remove: 2
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While I’d love to see more affordable Windows laptops with the sleek design and robust all-metal construction of the MacBook Neo, I wouldn’t mind if more were like the OmniBook 3. Its screen, keyboard, trackpad, and webcam are all at least decent. There’s nothing particularly remarkable here, but unlike some competitors, it doesn’t feel like a punishment to use.

The 1920 x 1200 / 60Hz display isn’t bright enough to handle outdoor use effectively (peaking at 300 nits and covering only 62.5 percent of the sRGB color space), but it doesn’t suffer from significant light bleeding or washout. The mechanical trackpad features a basic diving board-style hinge but offers a satisfying click. The 1080p webcam is surprisingly sharp and manages backlighting from bright windows fairly well, with only a slight green tint. Plus, it supports Windows Hello for face unlocking. This reasonably sized laptop also boasts a variety of ports and charges via USB-C with a compact 65W GaN charger.

My main complaint lies with the dual speakers, which lack bass and lean too heavily on treble, but they’re tolerable enough. I’m also not a fan of the keyboard, which feels stiffer than I’d like. If you’re someone who types with force and appreciates a spacious number pad, you might adapt, but I found myself making more typos than usual due to unregistered keystrokes. While I could adjust, I’d prefer a more responsive experience.

On the performance front, the OmniBook’s 8-core Snapdragon X processor is slightly slower than the one in the $950 Surface Laptop I tested, but the OmniBook excels in everyday tasks due to its ample RAM and faster SSD. Like other entry-level Snapdragon chips, it won’t impress with graphics or heavy content creation, but it handles daily multitasking with ease. Even with multiple apps and dozens of Chrome tabs open, including a video podcast, it didn’t slow down like the Surface Laptop or Chuwi UniBook, both of which only had 8GB of RAM.

While gaming isn’t its strong suit, the Snapdragon chip contributes to excellent battery life, easily lasting around 12 hours with mixed web usage and some music or video streaming.

It feels like HP prioritized the core specs of the OmniBook 3 while making just enough compromises elsewhere. As much as I appreciate the build quality of Microsoft’s Surface Laptops, if I were spending my own cash, I’d opt for the OmniBook 3, not worry about RAM limitations, and save over $400.

If I had reviewed the OmniBook 3 a year ago, my perspective might differ, but it’s refreshing to use a budget laptop and think, “Not too shabby!” Especially after testing the $450 Chuwi UniBook. An employee using this laptop for work shouldn’t feel like their IT department is out to get them. While I believe a MacBook Neo would provide a better overall experience for a school-aged kid, I’d completely understand choosing the OmniBook 3 to save nearly $200 if the budget is tight.

My only concern is that the OmniBook 3’s price might rise like everything else. Although more sub-$800 laptops are on the horizon, the current pricing of the OmniBook 3—and the OmniBook 5 I reviewed previously—seems unusual. The RAM crisis could eventually impact them as it has many other devices. But for now, the OmniBook offers a reliable option in a challenging market.

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HP OmniBook 3 16 specs (as reviewed)
* Display: 16-inch 1920 x 1200 60Hz IPS LCD, 300 nits, anti-glare
* CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon X X1-26-100 (8 cores)
* GPU: Adreno X1-45
* RAM: 16GB LPDDR5x
* Storage: 512GB NVMe M.2 SSD
* Webcam: 1080p IR camera
* Connectivity: Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3
* Ports: 2x USB-C (10Gbps, DisplayPort 1.4, Power Delivery 3.0), 2x USB-A (5Gbps), HDMI 2.1, 3.5mm audio jack
* Biometrics: Windows Hello face unlock
* Weight: 3.65 pounds / 1.66kg
* Dimensions: 14.12 x 9.91 x 0.58 to 0.63 inches / 358.65 x 251.71 x 14.73 to 16mm
* Battery: 68Wh (65W USB-C charger included)
* Price: about $520
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